Health Information

Fibromyalgia

Definition

Fibromyalgia is a common syndrome in which a person has long-term pain, spread throughout the body. The pain is most often linked to fatigue, sleep problems, headaches, depression, and anxiety.

People with fibromalgia may also have tenderness in the joints, muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues.

Alternative Names

Fibromyositis; Fibrositis

Causes

The cause is unknown. Possible causes or triggers of fibromyalgia include:

Physical or emotional trauma

Abnormal pain response (Areas in the brain that control pain may react differently in people with fibromyalgia.)

Sleep disturbances

Infection, such as a virus, although none has been identified

Fibromyalgia is most common among women age 20 to 50.

The following conditions may be seen with fibromyalgia or have similar symptoms:

Chronic neck or back pain

Chronic fatigue syndrome

Depression

Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)

Lyme disease

Sleep disorders

Symptoms

Pain is the main symptom of fibromyalgia. It may be mild to severe.

Painful areas are called tender points. Tender points are found in the soft tissue on the back of the neck, shoulders, chest, lower back, hips, shins, elbows, and knees. The pain then spreads out from these areas.

The pain may feel like a deep ache, or a shooting, burning pain.

The joints are not affected, although the pain may feel like it is coming from the joints.

People with fibromyalgia tend to wake up with body aches and stiffness. For some people, pain improves during the day and gets worse at night. Some people have pain all day long.

Pain may get worse with activity, cold or damp weather, anxiety, and stress.

Fatigue, depressed mood, and sleep problems occur in almost all people with fibromyalgia. Many people say that they can't get to sleep or stay asleep, and they feel tired when they wake up.

Other symptoms of fibromyalgia may include:

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Memory and concentration problems

Numbness and tingling in hands and feet

Reduced ability to exercise

Tension or migraine headaches

Exams and Tests

To be diagnosed with fibromyalgia, you must have had at least 3 months of widespread pain with one or more of the following:

Ongoing problems with sleep

Fatigue

Thinking or memory problems

It is no longer necessary to find tender points during the exam to make a diagnosis.

Results from blood and urine tests are normal most of the time. However, these tests may be done to rule out other conditions with similar symptoms.

Treatment

The goals of treatment are to help relieve pain and other symptoms, and to help a person cope with the symptoms.